• Demographics- A snapshot of the people.
  • Median age of the people- Ranging as young as 15 going up to the age of 30.
  • Male- 29 years old.
  • Female- 30 years.
  • Ethnicity - 98% Arabs, 1% European, 1% Jewish and other Ethnic groups.
  • Religion- 98% Muslim, 1% Christian, and 1% Jewish and other religions.
  • Nationality- Tunisians.
• Geography
  • Tunisia covers 63,170 square miles
  • Hundreds of miles of sandy beaches line Tunisia's Mediterranean coastline.
  • About 17 percent of Tunisia's land is suitable for cultivation, and another 13 percent is used for permanent crops
  • Climate is generally mild.
  • Average temperatures range from 52°F (13°C) in winter to 80°F (26°C) in summer
• Economic Resources
  • The textile industry is used mostly for exports (Tunisia’s main source of hard currency)
  • Agriculture, light industry, and services are all important to Tunisia's economy.
  • Eighty percent of all exports go to Europe.
  • Is moving toward a free market
  • Unemployment rate is 13% as of 2010
  • Tunisia has a GDP of $9,500 while the U.S has a GDP of $48,100.
• Political Structure
  • Republic Government. This tells us that the people have very little power over decisions made upon their country.
  • Legal System- Mixed legal system of civil law. It is based upon the French civil code and Islamic law. The Judicial branch has the authority to review Legislative acts in the Supreme Court in joint sessions.
  • The voting age is 18.
  • The people elect the president and the 217-seat Chamber of Deputies (lower house of Parliament).
  • The president appoints the prime minister and the Council of Ministers.
  • Elections are held every five years.

Part 2: History

1. The first president of Tunisia -Bourguiba- was put in office in 1957 and was elected “President For Life” in 1974
2. In 1987, Ben Ali removed Bourguiba from office and became President. Ben Ali originally favored liberal reforms, but issued repressive law against the Islamic Republic.
3. 2004 & 2009 Ben Ali ran for President and won with a majority of the vote, even though there was suspicion of vote-rigging.
4. Ben Ali was forced to go into exile in January 2011 and was arrested for smuggling, embezzling, and other charges in absentia after protests arrupted.
5. A new election was held in October 2011 and an Islamic party won the vote.
6. In late December, a new government was sworn in and a new constitution is to be drafted.

• Public Services- Fulfilled
  • the government provides free schooling,
  • 20% of the government funds go to schools,
  • the government also provides free medical care to all
• Maintain Order- Somewhat Fulfilled
  • Court of Cassation or Cour de Cassation (to resolve problems)
• Protect individual rights- Fulfilled
  • the people get to elect their president and lower part of the Parliament (the president chooses the upper part),
  • there is freedom of religion
• Make Economic Decisions- Somewhat Fulfilled
  • Tunisia has a GDP of $9,500
  • They need to reach even higher growth levels to create sufficient employment opportunities
  • Public Debt: 48%
• National Defense-Fulfilled
  • Military

1. Public Services
2. Protect individual Rights
3. National Defense
4. Make Economic Decisions
5. Maintain Order

• Who revolted?
  • The people as a whole.
• Why did they revolt?
  • Protests erupted over high levels of unemployment and lack of political freedoms.
• How did they organize?
  • The revolution started by a man lighting himself on fire in the town of Sidi Bouzid to protest his lack of opportunity and disrespect of the police.
  • The people used social media to share what was happening.
• How did the people overthrow the government?
  • They protested and used social media to spread their ideas and keep people up to date on what was happening. There were media wars as the government tried to take down some of the rebellious videos of protests and people speaking out.
• How did the government respond?
  • After unsuccessfully trying to appease the demonstrators with promises of elections, Mr. Ben Alileft the country.
• How was the government the same or different following the revolution?
  • The moderate Islamist party Ennahda won. They said, however, that they would respect women’s rights and try not to impose a Muslim moral code on society.
  • The new constitution does not cite Islamic law.

Citations